Improvement in turning-lathes for wood



. 4Sheets--Sheet2. C. A. BLESSING.

Turning Lathes for Wood. No. 137,999, PatentgdApril22J873.

AM. PHOW-LITHDGRAPHIC 00 N1 ('ossams mocsss) 4Sheets-Sheet4. G. A.BLESSING. Turning Lathes for Wood. No. 137,999. PatentedApr H22-J873.

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CHARLES A. BLESSING, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TURNlNG-LATHES FOR WOOD.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 137,999, dated April22, 1873; application filled I February 7, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented an Improved Machine for Guttin g Hydrant and other Posts, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and the letters of referencemarked thereon making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 isa top-plan view. Fig. 2 is a side view, parts being removed. Fig. 3 is afront view, parts being broken away. Fig. 4. is a vertical sectionalview on the line at m, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of themechanism by which the post is prevented from moving contrary to itsproper direction in case, for any reason, the cutters should attempt areverse movement of the post.

The nature of my invention consists in securing to the swinging frame,which carries the revolving bearings of the post, cords or chains, whichare passed over pulleys or sheave-wheels, and to which weights areattached, the same being so arranged that the power of the weights shallconstantly be employed in drawing the swinging frame toward the knives.Yet while these weightsthus opcrate, still the approach of the swingingframe toward the knives is controlled and regulated, and at a propertime its return or backward movement is impelled through the action ofcamsattached to a shaft, the faces of which press against the rollerssecured on the rear side of the swinging frame. The cam-shaft isoperated by power communicated from the motor-shaft, which is connectedwith the swinging frame, through a shaft whose bevel-gear meshes withthe bevelgear of the motorshaft, the worm-thread of which drives theratchet or worm wheel which revolves the cam-shaft. My'invention alsoconsists in the combination and arrangement of mechanism by which theclutch-pulley, which is fast on the motorshaft of the swinging frame, iscaused to engage with, and at the proper time automatically-to bedisengaged from, the loose clutch-pulley to which the belt-pulley isattached, and which communicates motion to the motor-shaft. To thefirst-mentioned of these clutch-pulleys is attached theforked head of abent or elbowshaped lever, which has its bearing at a pivotcenter on across-bar of the swinging frame. The other end of this lever isconnected with a chain and spring, the latter being, on its other end,secured to a stationary bearing on the main frame of the machine. Thechain is passed up through the cross-bar of the swinging frame and overpulleys or sheavewheels, and has attached a ratchet-weight. As theswinging frame is drawn toward the knives this weight graduallydescends, and continues to fall until the frame has carried the post tosuch position as will have enabled the knives to finish their work,when, in an opening in the weight, automatically drops a lever-pawl. Nowas the cams, through their action, return the swinging frame, thisweight, being held by the pawl-lever, cannot ascend; and consequentlythespring, through its elasticity, is called upon to resist the strain.This soon so overcomes its tension that, through the bent lever, theclutch-pulleys are disengaged. Thus when the frame reaches the positionwhen'it is desirable to remove the turned and finished post and insertanother, its shaft and the entire mechanism which receives powertherefrom, are inoperative, and so continue until the pawl is relievedfrom the weight, when instantly, through the tension of the spring, theclutches again engage, and all works as before. My invention alsoconsists in attaching to the shaft that carries the pinions, and whichimparts motion to the revolving bearings of the post, a disk or plate,to which are pivoted cam-shaped pawls, and in inclosing this section ofthe shaft in a. tube or collar, the interior surface of which isirregular, consisting of a series of curves, each termi: nating in anangular head. These cam-pawls are so connected by springs that whilethey are kept in contact with the uneven surfaces of the cylinder theyshall yet offer no resistance to the revolution of the shaft so long asit moves inthe proper direction; but in case the knives shouldfor anyreason attempt a reverse movement of the post, and consequent 1y throughthe gearing of the pinion-shaft, the cam-pawls are instantly brought insuch contact with the angular headsof the curves on the interior of thecylinder or collar as instantly to arrest the motion of the shaft, and

which continues until the post is left free to -revolve,in its properdirection. The nature of my invention also consists in turning the edgesof the knives slightly down, and so bending them as to give or impartthe desired end slope to the turnedsections of the post.

-vention are as follows Ais the main frame of the machine, to which isconnected the entire operating mechanism, and is supported by or restson standards A A At the rear section of this frame, and in suitablejournal-bearingsa a, is secured the main driving-shaft B. On

' this driving-shaft B is a fast pulley, b, and a loose pulley, N, whichare designed to connect the machine with an engine or other motor bymeans of an endless belt, and in such manner as to render the machineoperative and also inoperative at pleasure. Near the center of thisshaft B is another fast pulley, b, which carries the endless belt a:that works the motor-shaft H connected with the swinging or vibratingframe E. At the ends of the shaft B, and working outside of the frame A,

are pulleys B B, which, by means of pulleys O Ofand through the endlessbelts y y, op-

' crate the shaft 0, to which are attached the knives or cutters D D.naled in suitable bearin gs c c secured on the The shaft 0 isjourupright sections A A of the 'frame. The

- edges of these knives or cutters D D are formed inlthe'shape. or areof the contour, of

the article'to be turned, and, by means of screws or bolts cl d, aresecured to the cutterhead that is fast to the cutter-shaftO. The

edges of these knives are slightlybent down,

'- and so turned at their ends as to give the desired end slopes to theturned sections of the post.

The edges of the knives D D at certain sectionsterminate insharpteeth-points d d which are designed to make straight incisions 1or'cutsinto the surface of the post, and which permit the groover-edgesd d of the next knife D the more readily and smoother to act. K Theconcave or curved sections (1 d of the knives D D are all similar, andconsequently their operation is the same. arrangement are clearly shownin Figs. 1 and 3. E is the swinging or vibrating frame of Theirv formand the machine, and is journaled in collar-bearin gs E E through theopenings 6 c of which pass the ends of the shaft H. Atthe upper sectionsof the upright arms E E of this swinging or vibrating frame E, and insuitable bearings, rests the tube E. In this tube is journaled, so as torevolve freely, the shaft F, on theouter sections of which are pinions F15.

I employ two classes of knives, which are secured al- This shaft F isdriven by an endless belt, a, passing over its pulley F and also overthe pulley H of the shaft H, and by power communicated from the latter.At one section of this pinion-shaft F is secured a plate or disk, G, anenlarged view of which is represented in Fig. 5. rounds this disk, andin connection with which it operates, is on its inner face of anirregular form, consisting of a series of inclined curves, ff, whichterminate in angular heads or ratchet-bearings f f. To the disk G ispivoted a series of cam-pawl plates, G G, which are connected by meansof springs g g, and which so operate that while they cause the plates GG to hug the inclines ff during the revolution of the shaft, yet theyoffer no resistance to its movement so long as it travels away from theknives or cutters D D. But should there be a knot in the wood throughwhich the knives would not readily cut, or for any other reason shouldthey catch so as to attempt to carry the post with them, and,consequently, in an opposite direction from that in which it is designedto travel, the pawl-points g g of the cams G G are instantly brought insuch contact with the inclined ratch et-heads f f of the inclined curvesf f as to arrest the motion of the shaft, and to retain it until theknot is cut through or the other obstructionris removed, when the shaftF will operate as before. On the upper section of this tube E aresecured the journal- 'bearings I I of the spindles K K of the head andtail blocks K K On the outer section of these spindles K K are attachedratchetwheels L L which gear with the pinions F F of the shaft F, andthrough which the head block K and the tail-block K which carry the postare revolved. The spindle K of the tail-block K has attached a lever, Lwhich has its bearing on a pivoted arm, 1, attached to a slotted plateorstirrup-arm, I, that surrounds the ratchet-wheel L By means of thislever L a lateral movement is imparted to the spindle K, and which movesthe tail-block K so as to permit of the post being inserted and securedor of its removal at pleasure. This lever L is fastened by means of aratchet-segment, L asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. On the rear sectionof the tube E which is secured at the upper section of the vibratingframe E, are secured on suitable bearings, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4,the friction-rollers M M, to the axle-bearings m m of which are attachedcords m m, to which are secured weights M M. These cords or chains passover pulleys or chainwheels n n attached to the shaft N, which isjournaled in suitable bearings on the upright arms A A of the frame, andimmediately below the cutter-shaft O. The cords m m, to which theweights M M are attached, being thus connected with the vibrating frameE, and passing over rear pulleys n a connected with the main frame, thepower or gravity of the weights M M is constantly employed in Thesection of the tube E that surtoward the knives D D. and at the outersection thereof and in close drawing the vibrating frame toward the mainframe or, in other words, in drawing the head and tail blocks K K whichcarry the post, On this shaft N contact with the pulleys a n, aresecured the cams N N. These cams operate outside of the uprights A A ofthe frame, and their faces are in immediate contact with thefrictionrollers M M of the vibrating frame E, as clearly shown in Figs.2 and 4. Thus while the weights are constantly acting to draw thevibrating frame forward, its approach is regulated and controlled, andat the proper time its return impelled by the action of the cams N Nagainst the friction-rollers M M. O is an inclined shaft, and isjournaled in suitable stationary bearing-rods attached to the frame.

This shaft is driven by its bevel-gear 0 meshing with the bevel-gear hof the shaft H, and the worm O on its upper section drives'theworm-wheel N made fast to the cam-shaft N and through which the latteris revolved,

which arrangement is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The motor-shaft H, to which is attached the.

pulley H, which revolves through the endless belt 2 the pinion-shaft F,and which has also attached the bevel-gear h, which, through the spindleO, revolves the cam-shaft N is journaled in suitable bearings a a at thefront of the frame A, and immediately above the standards A A As hasbefore been said, the ends I of this shaft pass through the openings 6 eof key, h, secured to said shaft, and which is so arranged in connectionwith the clutch P that while it allows of its having a lateral movement,at the same time compels it to revolve with the shaft H. To this clutchP is secured a grooved collar, 1). In the groove of this collar enter,as clearly shown in Fig. v3, the forked arms 1" r of the bent orelbow-shaped lever R, and which has a pivot-center bearing at r on theunder face of the cross-bar H of the vibrating frame E. The lateral armR of this lever B is attached to a spring, S, and a chain, S whichspring is secured to a stationary bearing, S at the frontof the frame insuch manner that its tension is constantly employed in so acting on thebent leverR as through its forked head 1' to cause the clutches P P soto engage as to insure the revolution of the shaft H by the powercommunicated through the endless belt 00. To this chain S1 is secured aratchet-weight, T, in which is an aperture or opening, it. This chain S?passes over two pulleys or chain-wheels, one, T attached on the innerface of the upright A of the frame, and 1 the other pulley, T secured ina suitable standard attached to the upper face of the cross-bar H of theswinging frame E. To the shaft of the pulley T is pivoted the bentpawllever W, and which lever is so balanced that its point u alwaysrests against the center of the weight T. Consequently, as the weight '1falls, and which it gradually does as the vibrating frame is drawn inwhen it reaches such a point as to leave the opening t opposite to thepoint a of the pawl-lever W, they will automatically engage, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4, and thus the weightT is prevented from be ing drawn upby the chain S until the pawllever W is disengaged, and which causes thestrain of the chain S and locked weight T on the outward or returnmovementof the vibrating frame so to draw on the elasticity of thespring S as to overcome its tension, and. which, so soon as this isdone, insures the disengaging of the clutches 1? P and, consequently,the cessation of motion on the part of all the different features of themechanism, which receive their power from or through the shaft H, andcause them to remain at rest until the pawl W is disengaged, when theweight T is instantly drawn up through the tension of the spring, whichtension also so operates on the lever-arm It as to drive the clutches PP again together, when the machine operates as before. The severalfeatures herein described, and which are intimately connected with theclutches P P and the weight T, are to be relatively so arranged that theweight T shall engage with the pawl lever W just as the operation ofcutting the post is finished, and to insure that the clutches P P shallbe disengaged when the frame E has been returned to the desired positionfor the removal of the turned and finished work and the securing of afresh ost. V is a metallic or hard-wood cylinder, and is to be coveredwith emery. The surface of this cylinder has to be so shaped as toconform exactly to the contour of the edges of the knives or cutters DD. When the knives require sharpening the cylinder V is placed in thehead and tail blocks K K as shown in Fig. 1, and the main driving-shaftis stopped running, as well as the cutter and motor shaft H. The endlessbelt 2 is taken from the machine, and the pinion-shaft and its pulleyare driven by a pulley and belt not connected with the machine when itis in operation, and running the emery-cylinder at a faster speed thanthe machine itself would run it. The inside mechanism in the tube E isset out of .working order so that the emery-cylinderVis allowed to beturned or moved in a direction contrary to its usual way, thusenabling'the knives to be sharpened, one after the other, by holdingthem inproper contact with the emery cylinder. During the process ofsharpening the knives remain fastened to the cutter-head, being turnedafter one knife is sharpened so as to bring the next onein contact withthe emerycylinder, and the swinging frame remaining stationary.

From the foregoing description the operation'of the machine will readilybe understood. \Ve will suppose that the swinging or vibrating frame Ehas been pushed out, and that the lever-pawl W is in the opening t ofthe ratchet-weight T, and that, consequently, the tension of thespring Shas been'so far over.- come that it no longer, through the lever It,causes the clutches P P to engage; the result is, the pulley P being newentirely loose on the shaft H, that, though the belt x may stillcontinue to revolve said pulley, the latter imparts no motion to theshaft, and, being motionless, the pulley H and bevel-gear h, each ofwhich the shaft H works, are also still, and, consequently, thepinion-shaft F no longer revolves the spindles K K of the head and tailblocks K K, and the shaft N is also at rest. The friction-rollers M Mrest against the sections of the faces of the cams N N which are mostdistant from their axles, and which causes them to hold in a stationarymanner the swin ging frame E, and at a position the most distant fromthe knives which the frame in its movement ever reaches. The lever LFig. 1, is now pulled. back, and carries with it the spindle K of thetail-block K The post is then inserted and secured between the head andtail blocks K K and securely fastened by the lever L being caught andheld in the ratchet-segment L The post is now ready to be carriedforward for the action of the knives. The pawl-lever W, Fig. 4, is nowwithdrawn from the ratchet-opening t of the weight T, and the strain onthe spring S being now removed through its elasticity, it so draws onthe chain S as to cause it to elevate the weight T. The pawl-lever Wstill rests against the face of the weight, but does so at a point nowfar below its opening it. The tension of this spring S, which has thuselevated the weight T and carried it to such point as to render itimpossible for the pawl-lever W to engage therewith, has also so actedon the lateral arm R of the bent lever B, Fig. 3, as to cause theclutch-pulleys P P to engage. This causes the endless belt X, throughthe now fast pulley P, to revolve the shaft H, which, of course, carrieswith it' the bevelgear h which works the spindle O, causing it, throughits worm O, to revolve the ratchet N and,

through its movement, the shaft to which it is fast, and to which shaftare attached the cams N N. This movement of the cams permits of thegradual approach of the vibrating frame E, the same being drawn in bythe cords m m and weights M M, Fig. 2. The same movement of the shaft Hwhich has, through its bevel-gear h, thus set in motion the shaft Nwhich carries the cams N N, also revolves the pulley H Fig.3, which,through the endless belt 2, revolves the shaft F. This movement of theshaft 'F, through its fast pinions F F revolves the gear-wheels L L,and, through them, the spindles K K of the head and tail blocks K K andwhich imparts a regular and uniform motion to the post, causing it torevolve in such direction as to travel from or in an opposite directionto that of the knives, and which continues until the cams N N have beenso turned that the rollers M M rest against the sections of their faceswhich are nearest their common axle N When the vibrating frameE reachesthis point, the knives D D, through their rapid revolution on the shaft(3, which is driven by the endless belts 3 3 Fig. 1, secured to the maindriving-shaft B, have finished their work on the post, it being out tothe desired form. The cams N N, through their slow, continued, anduninterrupted action,now begin to return the swinging or vibrating frameE, pushing the same out until it again rests against the extreme pointsof the cams N N, or the points.

thereof which are most distant from their axle N and at which point allthe operating mechanism, except the cutter-shaft O, is inoperative, andso because as the frame E approached the cutters the weight T graduallywas allowed to fall until it reached the position shown in Fig. 4:, andat such point as caused the pawllever W to engage with it. This occursexactly at the period of time that the cutters D D have finished theirwork and the cams N N begin to return the vibrating frame E. Now, thisoutward movement of the frame E, which of course carries out with it thecross-bar H to which the chain-pulley T is attached, gradually increasesthe distance between the pulley-bearings T T of the chain S and whichcauses a strain onthe chain, the natural tendency of which is to elevatethe weight T but the Weight is locked in position by the pawllever W,and cannot rise; consequently, the strain falls directly on the tensionof the spring S, which gradually yields until, through the action of thechain S as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the arm R is drawn up, whichmovement causes the bent lever B, through its forked head 1', todisengage the clutches P P, and which instantly renders the entiremechanism connected with the vibrating frame E inoperative, as thepulley P, being loose and now no longer engaged, does not, through itsrevolution, impart motion to the shaft H. This interruption of theoperation of the mechanism connectedwith the vibrating frame occursexactly as said frame reaches the position which renders it convenientfor the finished post to be removed and a fresh one supplied. So soon asthis change is made the pawl-lever W is withdrawn from the opening t ofthe weight T, when the tension of the spring S, acting. through thechain S instantly elevates said weight. But the tension of the spring S,being now free to act, draws down the arm R of the leverarm B, and

which drives out the arm of the bent lever to which the forked head 4 isattached in such manner as to cause the clutches P P to engage, and thuscause the machine instantly to operate as before. What I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The vibrating frame E, cords or chains and weights m m and M M, andcams N N, when the same are connected, combined, and arranged, as hereindescribed, so that the weights constantly act to draw the frame forward,yet its approach shall be regulated, and at the proper time its returnimpelled, through the action of the cam, substantially as described.

2. The cams N N, shaft N worm-wheel N shaft 0 having worm O andbevel-gear o, and

' the bevel-gear h attached to the shaft H, when t the sameare combinedand arranged to operate substantially as described.

3. The shaft H, loose pulley and clutch P P, clutch P lever B, spring S,chain S weight T, and pawl-lever W, the whole being combined andarranged to operate substantially as described.

Witnesses:

EDWIN JAMES, J 0s. T. K. PLANT.

